The Candy Bandit
by fanofthisfiction
Summary: A little Halloween Whodunnit, featuring a slew of suspects. Can you solve the mystery?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

"Please Mommy, please? Just one more time?" Boruto begs, hoping his puppy dog eyes will tip the scales in his favor.

As usual, those baby blues, so much like Naruto's, tug at Hinata's heartstrings, but one glance at the bedside clock prompts the mom in her to stand her ground.

"I'm sorry sweetie, it's way past your bedtime, so we'll have to put this book away for tonight."

A cute little pout appears as he crosses his little arms across his chest in protest, and she tries to hide her smile. He really is adorable when he's like this.

"Don't worry," Hinata assures, ruffling his hair. "We'll have time to read it again another time. For now, it's time for bed. Come now, Boruto, you must be tired after all that trick or treating you did. You need to get to sleep before your friends arrive early tomorrow morning."

"Wait. Friends?" he pauses. "Friends are coming over tomorrow? he perks. "Who?"

"Oh goodness, did I forget tell you? The day's been so busy it must have skipped my mind. Auntie Sakura asked me to babysit Sarada. Her grandparents are going to be out of town a few days, so she needs a place to stay while her mom works. Also, Auntie Ino, Auntie Karui, and Auntie Temari need to attend an Ino-Shika-Cho clan meeting so Inojin, Cho Cho, and Shikadai will be joining us as well. Everyone is coming just after breakfast, so you'd better get to sleep."

"This is great!" Boruto cheers. "I can't wait! Hey Mom. Do you think they'll be bringing over their candy?" he asks excitedly.

"Sorry, Boruto. I doubt that, but you collected more than you can possibly eat after going trick or treating with Sarada tonight. Surely you can share."

"Hmmmph!" he harrumphs, and Hinata tsks.

"Uh oh, Boruto. You sound tired. You don't even like candy and you're usually good at sharing."

"But Mommmmm!" he protests.

"Boruto," Hinata presses. "Time to sleep. Once you do, I'm sure you'll see things differently in the morning."

He scrunches his nose, clearly not agreeing, but there is no going against his mother when she's like this.

"Fine," he relents. "But let me do one more thing." Hopping off his bed, he peers behind the headboard. Grabbing the large plastic bag squeezed behind it, he opens the bottom drawer of his desk and plops it in.

"There," he says satisfied." My treats should be safe now."

Hinata smiles. Boruto's been copying his favorite character in the Halloween book they've been reading. The main character, Harriett, spends her day hiding her candy from her little brother, ensuring she hoards all the treats to herself. Only in the book, Harriett loves candy and Boruto does not. Boruto's been having fun being secretive and stashing his bag of goodies in different spots around the house. For now it seems her son's not interested in eating them, just counting them, and perhaps bragging to everyone with the number of treats he collected. (Tonight he's proud to know he has the most!) Pulling back the bed sheets, Hinata signals for him to crawl in.

"Okay, Boruto. Now that that's done, time for bed."

Yawning, her young son doesn't have the energy to disagree.

"Good night, Boruto," she says, delivering a kiss to him and tucking him.

"Good night Mom," he returns.

* * *

The next morning, Hinata rushes to get the house ready for their guests. Himawari is being extra fussy so she checks her diaper before seeing what Boruto is up to. Although he's quiet, she is happy to know it isn't because he's up to any mischief, he's just sitting on the floor in the toy room sorting his candy. First by size, then by color, and eventually by favorites.

"46, 47, 48, 49, 50!" Boruto says proudly. Rubbing his hands together he crows. "Look at all my candy, Mom!"

Hinata's amused. It's been nothing but fun to see him enjoying the treats from his trick or treating escapades.

"Wow, that's some collection you have there," she comments, and he beams.

"It is, isn't it, Mom?" he says with pride. "I bet you Sarada doesn't have nearly as many. She ended up missing a few houses when she stopped to talk to Cho Cho."

Hinata's happy for him but his last comment worries her. Boasting he's better than the young Uchiha isn't what she wants him to be doing all day, and fighting over candy will definitely not make it fun for either of them.

"Now Boruto, you shouldn't worry about how many Sarada has or doesn't have. Just be happy with your collection and be thankful Auntie Sakura took you along with them."

"I know. I know," he says to appease her, but he still hopes he's the one to have the most.

Not before long, the doorbell rings, and Sarada is ushered in. Hinata happily walks her over to Boruto then goes back to join Sakura.

"Hey Boruto," she greets.

"Hey, Sarada."

"I had a lot of fun trick or treating with you last night, but let's do something different today," she suggests.

"Sure. What do you feel like doing?" Boruto asks.

She shrugs. "I dunno. What about you?"

"Wanna to go outside?"

It's a nice day, not too hot, nor too cold, so with nothing better to do, she agrees. "Sure."

"Boruto," his mother's voice then calls from the other room. "I want to show Auntie Sakura something in the garden for a second. Watch Himawari for me. Okay?"

"Mommmm," he grumbles, then quickly corrects himself so he doesn't get into trouble. "All right, Mom!" he answers.

Himawari's in the corner pushing the buttons on her favorite light up toy and he pays her no mind, quickly moving his attention to Sarada to think of something else to do for the time being. Even if his friend doesn't seem overly interested, showing off his candies is foremost on his mind so he makes a swift decision.

"Hey Sarada. It looks like we're going to have to wait inside until my Mom comes back. We can head outside soon, but first, wait here. I want to show you something."

"What is it?" Sarada asks curiously.

"Just wait!" he insists, then stealthily runs into his room and comes running back.

"Lookie here," Boruto boasts. "It's my Halloween stash," he beams.

He's confident he has the most treats of everyone and just a wee bit proud. Sarada's eyes go wide when she peers inside the bag and seeing her surprise he instinctively pulls his bag back protectively and closes it.

"Sorry Sarada. You can't have any," he says abruptly.

"Geez Boruto. Don't worry. I'm not asking for any. Let me just see what you've got."

Boruto gives her the once over but eventually he caves. He's too excited to show off his collection and now that he has a captive audience, the young Uzumaki proudly opens the bag and begins lining up his candies by favorites, puffing out his chest a little bit and showing the entirety of his collection to his friend. Forty-two chocolates and eight other kinds of candies sprinkle the floor.

"How many do you have, Sarada?" he inquires.

"I started out with 30," she admits, "but Mama ate a few, so I probably have less than 20 now."

He's inwardly ecstatic, but just then her stomach growls.

"Sorry about that," she says embarrassed. "Mama woke me up early and there wasn't time to eat breakfast."

He pauses and for a moment, feeling a little guilty he's hoarding his huge candy stash all to himself when he knows she's hungry.

Sarada says nothing but when the grumbling happens again, guilt seeps further into his conscience. He knows if it weren't for Sakura and Sarada he wouldn't have been able to trick or treat last night. Internally he wars with himself then ultimately ends up deciding to offer one to her.

"Boruto," she scolds. "I thought you said I wasn't allowed to have any."

"Well, I changed my mind," he says, as if that explains everything.

Shrugging her shoulders, Sarada holds out her hand.

"Okay then."

"Just one," he reminds her, handing over one of his least favorites.

"Fine... And... Thank you," she says before ripping away the wrapper and popping it into her mouth. A brief moment passes and her eyes light up. "Wow," she says, surprise evident. "It's really good." What kind of candy is that? I'm not sure I got one of those."

"Here," Boruto says retrieving the wrapper. "Keep it, so you remember it for the future."

Sarada crinkles the wrapper and tucks it away in her pocket. Boruto then gathers his candies and dumps them all back into the bag. Running past his sister and shooing Sarada out of the room, he tells the young Uchiha to wait for him outside then scampers back to put his bag under a couch cushion for safe keeping.

Hightailing it back, he nearly runs into Sakura.

"In a rush?" she teases.

"Oh sorry, Uchiha-san" he apologizes.

"It's okay, Boruto. I know you're excited. Don't mind me. Head off to play."

"Thanks," he replies.

Right then, the doorbell rings and other friends arrive. Picking up his sister, he makes his way to the foyer to greet everyone.

"Hey guys, Sarada's already out back. C'mon, are you ready? Let's join her!" And that's all it takes for everyone to rush outside with him.

Games ensue and everyone laughs while playing on the jungle gym. Himawari is content watching everyone from her swing, so Hinata busies herself in the kitchen.

After lunch, the youngest Uzumaki takes her daily nap and the gang gathers around to see what's in the Uzumaki toy chest. The girls opt to play with dolls while the boys play with darts. When the girls ask to trade games, Boruto flat out says, 'no,' upsetting Cho Cho.

"Gosh, why do you have to be so mean?" she complains.

"I'm not mean," Boruto says plainly. "I just don't want to play with dolls. You can understand that, right?"

It's not fair, but Sarada pulls her aside and after whispering something to her friend, the girls march away without another word.

A little while later, when the girls are playing with a now awake Himawari, Boruto catches Cho Cho and Sarada pulling Inojin over and laughing about something funny. He quickly calls Inojin back and his friend resumes playing with him, so Boruto pays it no mind. It's been great having everyone over and he's having the time of his life.

Fun piles on top of more fun and at the end of the day they all get together and play tag, running and laughing the hours away until Sakura comes to get Sarada, and the boys and Cho Cho are ready to leave with Ino.

"Aw, does everyone have to go home already?" Boruto asks.

"Boruto," Ino chides. "The kids have been here the entire day. It's getting late and I'm sure your mom must be very tired."

"Actually," Hinata mentions, "the kids have played very well together. And for once I've been able to get more things done around the house. Everyone kept themselves busy and Himawari was entertained. It was almost like they babysat themselves."

"I'm glad," Ino says. "Thanks again, Hinata. We all appreciate it."

"Anytime," the byagukan user smiles, bidding them a farewell.

* * *

That night, Naruto surprises the entire family and comes home for dinner early, spending the evening chasing after the kids and playing with them. It's no wonder, after an hour of fun, Boruto is tuckered out.

Just before Himawari's bedtime, as per the usual, Naruto is called away, so he bids them all a good night. Hinata is then able to get Boruto to bathe and put away his toys while she gets Himawari off to bed. Before finally laying to rest, her son insists she read his favorite book again, and she agrees. He's glued to each page, and once the end of the story arrives, he springs out of bed to recover his hidden candies and lays them out on the floor once more to count them before going to sleep.

"44, 45, 46, 47, 48. Wait a minute." He frowns. "I thought I had 50!" he exclaims.

"Boruto, are you sure you didn't eat any?" Hinata asks.

"I didn't," he says adamantly, then thinks about it. "Oh wait, I remember I gave one to Sarada this morning. But only one," he insists.

"Okay then, that explains why there are less."

"But I only shared one," he whines. "I had 50 earlier Mom. There should be 49!"

"Come now Boruto, are you really that sure?" Hinata asks. "You just now forgot you gave one to Sarada. Perhaps you ate one while she had hers or you shared one with somebody else."

Boruto thinks hard but doesn't remember any such thing.

"Hmm. I'm pretty sure I'd remember that," he pouts, but soon a wave of exhaustion hits him and he yawns. Since all of his favorites are intact he decides to shrug it off and hides away the remaining goods in his drawer.

"Anyway, I have 48 now," he says to her. "That's still a lot."

"It definitely is," she agrees. "Now time to sleep," Hinata tells him.

Willingly, he slides inside his sheets.

"Good night, Boruto," his mother says with a kiss. "Sweet dreams."

"Sweet dreams, Mom."

For a moment Boruto wonders about the missing treat, but before he knows it, exhaustion claims his little body and he quickly drifts out of consciousness.

* * *

Okay, the mystery has begun. Is there a candy thief or is it just a case of miscounting? Take a guess if you think there's a culprit. Or just review. I'd love to hear from you. I've decided to put this chapter out as a test. If the reception is positive, expect an update soon.

For those interested, the book being referred to here is: Harriet's Halloween Candy by Nancy Carlson, a longtime kiddie favorite in the US.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

Sadly, on 10-21-2018, I was the victim of a hacker who broke in and wiped my Profile page clean. The worst part has been the loss of the **Fanfiction Review Movement** list. I am doing my best to reconstruct it, but if you have made a pledge and are still interested in being included on the list, please PM me so I won't overlook you when I get around to re-releasing it. Also, as a reminder, you might want to back up information you have on the site. It was an awful feeling knowing information I held near and dear to me was stolen away and deleted in a heartbeat.

* * *

Anyway, it's been quite a week, but switching gears, I want to give special thanks to: guest, NaruHinaF, Pixie07, wingedmercury, and Yengirl for reviewing this story and letting me know you were enjoying it. It was a little tough to ignite the motivation to continue, but your feedback inspired me, and I wanted to make an extra effort to give you a few more clues. If you're continuing to follow this story, please leave a review with your guess (and reasoning) if you think there's a bandit. I'd love to hear from you!

And now for chapter 2...

* * *

The next morning comes before Boruto knows it, and the day gets off to a busy start. It's unusual Naruto is still at home, but he's involved in a frantic hunt, looking around for a lost scroll. Hinata offers her help, but he insists it's better the family head out rather than look, so she rounds up the kids and heads off to the marketplace right after breakfast. Coincidentally, they happen to run into Boruto's friends again, and before Hinata can say, 'no,' arrangements are made for another playdate at the park. Luckily not much is on the schedule for the day, so after depositing their groceries at home and making a quick lunch, Hinata plops down on a bench and enjoys her time in the shade watching the kids play endlessly on the slides, swings, and the monkey bars while listening to the latest happenings at the Flower Shop from Ino.

Himawari remains content at the park in the shade, playing in sandbox, but Boruto, Inojin and Shikadai eventually move their game of tag out into the sun, and soon find themselves sweaty and exhausted after lunch, so Hinata invites the boys and their moms over for some lemonade.

The cold drinks refresh, and with renewed energy, the three friends head out to make portable shelters by hanging tarps on twine outside in the backyard, while the moms chat indoors. Then, just before sunset, the boys practice aiming small darts at a dartboard while Himawari crawls around exploring the toy room where her favorite doll and light up toy are set out for her. A surprise pop over visit from Sakura, and one from Karui has Hinata inviting more friends into their home and the kids all get together for big fun in the back toy room while Himawari crawls around the kitchen and the ladies chat. Hinata diligently works while she talks but it doesn't help that she's distracted at times and gets a little behind schedule. All at once the hungry bunch of kids rush toward the kitchen for a snack, but Hinata isn't quite finished making dinner, so they're told they have to wait.

"I'm starving," Boruto whines even though he knows his mother is working as fast as she can. Everyone groans in agreement, but they're shooed back into the toy room by their moms before any more complaints are registered. Just then, Boruto remembers his hidden stash of sweets.

"Hold up a minute guys and wait here," he announces to his friends, then disappears to retrieve his bag. With pride, he brings out the goods and dumps them on the floor, lining the candies up by favorites.

"Wow, look at that stash!" Inojin says nearly licking his lips.

"How many can we have?" Cho Cho inquires, as her eyes grow big.

"I'm willing to share one with each of you," Boruto clarifies. "Which one do you want?" he asks each of his friends.

"Are we allowed to have candy so close to dinnertime?" Sarada asks, unsure.

"Sure," Boruto says. "Right Mom?!" he yells from the other room.

"What's that, Boruto?" Hinata questions.

"Can we each have a candy from my bag while we're waiting. We're starving!" Boruto complains.

"I'll agree only if the other moms do," Hinata says, "but wash up first!"

"Can we?" Boruto nearly begs, running into the kitchen and flashing his best puppy dog eyes at the moms. A nod from each has him jumping for joy.

"They said yes!" he proudly announces, running back to his friends.

The kids line up to wash their hands then all head back to the toy room where the candies are lain out. Boruto is laughing and happy, that is until he catches his little sister sitting near his candy collection and pushing her fingers into one of his prized wrapped chocolates.

"Mom!" he complains, "Come quick! Himawari's getting into my stuff. Make her stop!" he demands.

"Sorry about that," Sakura apologizes coming out from the kitchen and scooping Himawari into her arms. "I was supposed to watch her while your mom was finishing up her cooking, but I got distracted for a second and she got away." Her attention then shifts to some of the shiny wrappers on the floor. "Oh wow, Boruto, is this your candy from Halloween?" she asks, picking up a few of her favorites for a closer look.

"Yep," he replies proudly.

"Wow, that's some stash," she congratulates him. "You definitely got some good ones."

"Thanks," he says with a smile.

Himawari then starts to cry and Sakura stands and lightly bounces her on her hip, releasing the candy.

"Oh dear little one, are you hungry?" she asks. "Come now, let's go see what Mommy has for you in the kitchen."

Once in sight, Hinata extracts Himawari from Sakura's arms, distracting her with promises of a yummy meal to ease her tears. She quickly puts on her bib, washes up her hands, and seats her in her high chair, placing a few finger foods for her to snack on. Himawari instantly perks upon seeing the edible delights.

"Yum, Yum," Hinata says, enticing her to eat. "These are for you."

Himawari squeals with happiness as she claps her hands and begins to feed herself.

The timer then goes off and Hinata goes back to check the oven and soon the delicious aroma of yakitori fills the air.

"Dinner's ready," Hinata announces, lifting out the pans. "How about everyone stay and eat with us instead of just having a snack?"

"Can we?" the kids all ask.

"There's plenty," Hinata informs them and there's no way to decline the delicious invitation so the moms and kids all get to stay.

* * *

Conversations are plentiful and with full bellies, all is well again. The kids agree to play with Himawari while Hinata, Temari, and Ino clean up the kitchen. In the meantime, Karui steps out to pick up toys in the backyard while Sakura cleans up the toy room, and once everyone is done helping, the girls eventually leave with their mothers.

With just the three boys left, Boruto pleads for a little more time together, so Hinata invites Temari and Ino to stay for tea. Sharing 'mom stories' continues until Inojin interrupts.

"Uzumaki-san, I'm so sorry. It looks like I accidentally left out some brown paint and Himawari got her hands and face smeared with it."

"It's okay, Hinata tells him." "Boruto's paints are non toxic and washable."

"Boruto," she calls. "Would you mind going over to help clean Himawari up?"

"I'm busy, Mom" he yells back.

"It's okay Uzumaki-san, it's my fault. I'll do it." Inojin says.

"Thanks," she says gratefully. "There are wipes on the side table. You can use those."

He scampers off to assist, and she, Temari, and Ino continue to visit.

Later, when things get a little quiet, Hinata heads over to the toy room and catches Inojin playing with a cleaned up Himawari while Shikadai and Boruto play with his toy cars. Happily seeing no one is up to mischief, she heads back to relax again with her girlfriends.

Then, just before Temari and Ino ready themselves to leave, she hears little Inojin excitedly call them over. "Mom. Uzumaki-san. Auntie Temari. Watch this!" They all run over to see what the commotion is all about (the boys included) and all eyes shift to him.

Inojin is crouched next to Himawari and the littlest Uzumaki has carefully brought herself to stand with the help of a table and she stretches both of her tiny hands out to him. Cautiously, after balancing from a wobble, she is able to stand on her own.

"Wow, Himawari," Hinata says with a smile. "I didn't know you could do that!"

Himawari tests her pudgy legs, holding onto the table, letting go, then catching her balance again. After a few tries she wears a determined look on her face. Slowly she lets go again to balance herself and for the first time, she moves her foot while still holding onto the table. Inojin holds out her favorite doll to his chest and calls to her. Her eyes focus on him and Himawari releases her grip from the table and makes her move toward him.

"Your first step, Himawari!" Hinata claps. "Oh, my goodness you're growing up! What a big girl you are!"

Himawari proudly beams as the others clap and congratulate her. It seems she's becoming a big kid and it's a very exciting day.

* * *

Later that night, Naruto comes home and hears about Himawari's newest accomplishment. "Wow, that's exciting," he says ruffling her hair. "Congratulations on your big girl stunt today." Himawari giggles and claps her hands, clearly agreeing.

"Goodness Princess, it's been a big day for you so let's get you to bed and see what you can do tomorrow. Okay?" Hinata propositions.

Her daughter's eyes gleam with excitement and a hint of mischievousness, making both of her parents laugh.

* * *

While his parents are busy with his sister, Boruto busies himself with his candy count.

"39, 40, 41, 42. _Wait a minute._ He stops with a frown. _Is that right?_ Then, Boruto's stomach plunges as he frantically counts again.

"39, 40, 41, 42." _Noooooo! Only 42? How can that be?_

"Mom," he cries out from the other room, "One candy is missing again. Today I shared four candies and ate only one. I should have 43, not 42."

"Shhhh." she says, entering in a rush. "Time to use your quiet voice Boruto. We just put Himawari to sleep. Come now, I'm sure you just forgot to account for one," she tells him, causing him to frown. "Mom..." he whines just a wee bit quieter. Then a thought comes to mind.

"Hey, did you or Dad happen to eat one?"

"No, I didn't touch your candy," she says, "and I doubt Dad did either."

He knows his Mom wouldn't lie or take one without asking, but his eyes narrow. _What about his Dad? When he's in a rush, he's been known to take food from the refrigerator without asking, and he was home alone for a bit too._ _Hmmm, maybe he's the candy bandit,_ he thinks. Anger easily turns to blame, but before he can voice an accusation, his mom speaks up.

"Oh Boruto," Hinata says. "Don't worry, you still have plenty. Maybe one of your friends accidentally ate more than one," she suggests. Gears then begin to shift in a different direction. _She has a point._ Inojin _was very vocal about complaining how hungry he was, and hey! Wasn't he the one in awe of his collection too? Also, wasn't Cho Cho the one who wondered how many candies she could have? Could she have taken an extra?_ Boruto hides the remainder his stash in his clothes drawer and hops in bed.

 _Inojin_ and Cho Cho he accuses mentally. _I have some questions for you._

* * *

So did you change your mind about candy bandit? If so, who do you think is the culprit? If not, why are the candies disappearing? Review to prove you're a super sleuth!

Also for those who wanted to know, yakitori is a Japanese skewered meat (chicken or beef) that has a salty or sweet sauce.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

"Hurry, Mom. Let's get going!" Boruto strongly suggests the next morning.

"It's a bit early, don't you think?" Hinata questions.

"Yeah, but I have a candy bandit to find," he tells her.

"Hold on a minute. Let me get Himawari ready, and then we'll leave, but Boruto, please be careful with your blame. No one is a thief or bandit unless proven guilty," she adds.

"Fine," he grumbles.

While she's busy changing and dressing Himawari, Boruto starts thinking about the potential suspects and stops his dad just before he heads out.

"Hey Dad," he hollers. "Which of my candies did you eat?" He blurts, just to test him.

"Your what?" Naruto asks, puzzled, walking toward him.

"My candies," Boruto clarifies, holding out his treat sack to further cue him in.

"Huh? Candy? I didn't even know you had a treat sack," Naruto admits. "Sorry, Boruto, I didn't try one yet, but would you like to share one with me now?" Naruto asks brightly.

Boruto crosses his arms. "Dad," he complains. "I'm short a few treats."

"Well, in that case, don't worry about sharing. Go ahead and keep your treasures safe and I hope you find the missing ones," Naruto says, ruffling his hair and heading out the door.

Boruto had hoped his dad was the culprit, but unfortunately with the response he just received, it seems unlikely. Consequently, this only makes the young Uzumaki more suspicious of his friends. _Which of you is the candy bandit?_ he thinks to himself. As he moves his stash of goodies from his clothes drawer to a spot under a sofa cushion, he waits for his Mom, and mulls over the facts.

* * *

Enjoying the early afternoon now that Boruto is at school and Himawari's down for a nap, leisurely, Hinata cleans around the house, and to her surprise, just as she sweeps behind the living room curtain, she discovers a few stray candy wrappers.

"That's strange," she says, eyeing her find. "Maybe one of the kids did get into his bag after all," she muses.

* * *

After school, Boruto rushes over to greet his Mom. The moment Hinata's in earshot he practically bubbles over to tell her about his day.

"Hey, Mom. No one admitted to taking my candies, but I just know someone's guilty. Will you help me?"

"I'm not sure, Boruto. What sort of help do you need?"

"How about I'll share what each of my friends said, then you to tell me whether or not you think they're the candy bandit."

"Sounds fair," Hinata agrees.

He brightens, and their walk home is then filled with excited chatter over Boruto's discoveries.

"This morning I asked Shikadai about his candy collection. Just to compare," he clarifies, remembering his Mom's warning about bragging about having the most candies. "But he said he had no idea. Can you believe it? No idea! I asked him why that was, and it turns out Shikadai went to the dentist before Halloween and had to have his teeth drilled. He said it hurt A LOT, but since he's still lazy about brushing his teeth, he's decided it's best just to give candy up. He'll eat it if it's around, but said he's trying to cut down. I went on to tell him about my missing candy and asked him if he knew who took them, but he said he didn't. Neither of us said much after that, but just before the bell rang, he surprised me by offering some of his own candy to me if I needed more. Of course I said, 'no,' but I thought that was nice of him. "

At that she nods.

"Mom, Shikadai's a good buddy, and I know he wouldn't lie, so after our talk, I believe I can rule him out."

Hinata hums in agreement.

"Next, during the first recess, I went to play with Sarada and asked her how many Halloween treats she still had. I was shocked! Can you believe she has none? It's crazy! I can't believe Auntie Sakura ate them all! More than that, I can't understand why Sarada's not even mad. Anyway, it's possible she stole an extra piece from me. I noticed she frowned when I asked her if she took any of my candies, and now that I think about it, she didn't really give me an answer. Basically she was quiet while I asked my question, then out of nowhere she yelled back that she couldn't believe I would suspect her of doing something that and ran away. Sheesh!"

Hinata bites her lip with her retort, and lets him continue.

"At lunchtime, I offered Cho Cho my bag of chips if she could tell me the names of the extra candies that were eaten from my collection or admit to being the thief herself. I knew she wanted my chips badly, but even after three tries, she couldn't give me the right answer, so I walked away. Soon after, she started following me around, demanding I share my bag anyway for her efforts. When I said 'no,' out of nowhere, she got really mad!"

"Shikadai, saved me by sharing his snack with her, but I have to say, she was scary!"

Hinata only shakes her head.

"Then, after school, just before you came, I asked Inojin about his Halloween stash. He bragged he currently has 30 candies but when I asked about my missing treats, he looked me straight in the eye and told me he didn't take any extras. Now, Inojin can do many things, but one thing is for sure, he's a terrible liar. There were no fake smiles plastered his face, so I guess I believe him."

"Geez, Mom. Which of my friends is the candy bandit? Do you think it was one of the girls?"

"Oh Boruto, I'm sure if we look hard enough, there's an explanation."

"Yeah, yeah" he says, defeated. "I'm not happy this is all still a mystery, but let's hurry home, 'cause there's still one thing good left about this day," he tells her.

"What's that?"

"Of all my friends, I found out I still have the most candies," he says proudly. "42!"

* * *

So did this chapter change your mind? Who do you think is the candy bandit? Come back and visit soon. The reveal will be posted on Halloween!

Secondly, I'm super tempted to ask, have any of you ever had a candy bandit in your house? If so, who was it? And how did you manage to catch them? I'd love to hear about your own personal candy bandit story.

Remember, reviews are like treats. Please spread them around and show your Halloween spirit!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto

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Bounding through the front door, Boruto makes a beeline over to the couch.

"I'm finally home!" he booms. "No more investigating. Just time to have fun!"

Hinata smiles as he scrambles to pull out his candy bag from under the couch cushion. Lining them up, he sorts the candies by favorites. Slowly but surely, Himawari makes her way over to him, but he pushes her back when she gets too close.

"Go away, Himawari. I'm busy right now doing big boy stuff. I'll play with you later."

Innocently, she takes a seat and just watches him.

"Himawari, I know you're still a baby,'" he confides. "But maybe next year when you're a big girl, you can go trick or treating with me and we'll collect double the treats," he says. "You'd like that, right?"

"Um!" is all she says.

"40, 41, 42!" He announces. "Yep, I'm still the one with the most candies!" he announces proudly. Taking the wrapper off of one of his favorites, he pops it into his mouth. "Even after eating this one, I'm still way ahead of Inojin!" he announces.

Hinata smiles as she shakes her head and heads off to the kitchen.

Himawari makes her way over to him again, but Boruto lifts her up and carries her to her toy chest instead. She fusses in his arms, but once he takes out a few of her favorite toys from the toy chest and interacts with her, all is well again.

* * *

When dinnertime arrives, Boruto re-visits his question about the candy bandit while he finishes eating his vegetables and Himawari plays in the toy room.

"So who do you think stole my candy, Mom? Sarada or Cho Cho?"

"Boruto," she chides. "Why are you so positive it was one of the girls?"

"Because..." he reasons. "Well, who else could it be?" he shoots back.

"Boruto, you really can't place blame unless you catch someone red-handed …."

But no sooner than she says this, little Himawari comes toddling around the corner with sticky brown goop plastered around her little mouth, clutching onto a shiny little wrapper in her chubby hands.

Boruto's eyes grow wide and he stares at her in shock.

"Wait. Whaaaat?" he shouts as Hinata stares over at her in surprise.

The smell of chocolate permeates their nostrils and Boruto runs into the other room only to find his candy bag displaced from the couch and half his candies strewn on the floor. Hinata's already hot on his heels with a cute little Himawari perched on her hip with messy fingers and smeared chocolate on her cheeks.

"Oh my, little Princess, have YOU been the one getting into Boruto's treats?" she asks, as Boruto hurriedly puts the candies back into his bag.

"Um. Um," is all she says.

"Yum? Yum?" Hinata translates. "Oh my goodness, Boruto," she laughs, looking at the guilty party.  
I think we just discovered your little candy bandit. Sweet Himawari, you may only have 4 teeth, but apparently with enough determination and sucking, you're able to get to the treats through the wrappers!"

"ARRGGGH! H-i-m-a-w-a-r-i! I can't believe it! YOU'RE the candy bandit?! Gads, you have no idea how much trouble I got in because of you!" he accuses.

Big, innocent eyes gaze up at him in completely unaware of what her escapades have led to.

"Mommmmm," he grumbles. "I was right! Girls ARE unpredictable and big trouble when they're around!" With that Boruto turns on his heel and runs back to his room with his treats.

Hinata can't help but giggle, all the while little Himawari claps her hands.

* * *

At bedtime, once things settle down, to soothe over Boruto's woes, Hinata pulls out his favorite book and reads it to him and Himawari.

In the book, the main character Harriett collects and counts her candy but doesn't share them with anyone. That is until she eats too much all at once and gets sick. Her little brother, Walt, who was hoping for some handouts, is at first denied, but soon becomes the beneficiary of her sudden decreased interest in eating anymore candy, and in the end, Harriett shares her candy with him.

"It's been a big day for you, Boruto," Hinata says. "But now that you're calm, did you learn anything from all of this?"

The blond scrunches his nose.

"Yeah. Never trust girls," he grouses.

Hinata gives him a stern look.

"What?" he shoots back in defense. He's knows what he's saying's not right. He's just sore about his missing treats.

"Boruto," she reprimands, half amused.

"All right. All right," he says.

"Now Boruto, come now, whose fault is this really? The girls were innocent, and we all know Himawari's just a baby. She didn't know any better but we certainly learned she was smart enough to get into your treats! I often catch you telling her she isn't big enough to do stuff but she certainly proved you wrong, wouldn't you say?"

Sheepishly he scratches the back of his head.

"Maybe," he says.

"Also how about learning to share better, so no one is unhappy?" his Mom (being her Mom self) suggests.

"Fine," he concedes.

"Um, um," _Yum Yum_ , Himawari proclaims, and at that, the seriousness of the moment dissolves and a tinkle of laughter begins to bubble through.

"You know, Mom, I always knew Himawari was a good eater but it surprised me how much she loves chocolate," he says. "Who knew?"

"She definitely inherited that trait from Auntie Hanabi," Hinata laughs, "but she sure is starting early! It takes pure determination to suck through the wrapper to get to the goods when you only have 4 teeth!"

"That's for sure," Boruto agrees.

Silence settles over them while they're lost in their thoughts until Boruto speaks up again.

"Mom, she may be small but I can't believe how determined and sneaky Himawari can be. My friends and I are already going to the Pre-Academy but only my little sister managed to go behind our backs and get to the treats without anyone knowing."

"True," Hinata agrees. "She is pretty stealthy. Now that you mention it, perhaps there's another lesson in this. Maybe it's best you be good to your sister and watch out for her," she warns.

Boruto shakes his head.

"Nah," he brushes off. "Nice try Mom. She's still too little do any real damage, so for now, I've got nothing to worry about," he boasts.

 _Hmmm, she is little_ , Hinata's muses, but there's something in that twinkle in her eye that tells Hinata she's definitely a little ninja in the making.

* * *

The fact is, Himawari is small for now, and perhaps none the wiser, but in a few years, when a determined Boruto has a heated altercation with his little sister and tugs just a little too hard on her favorite bear, causing its appendage to rip off, perhaps he would have found it helpful to have already learned the little lesson of today instead of living to regret his words. (You guessed it! The hidden potential of a little sibling, really isn't something you should ignore!)

The end

* * *

 **Author's note:**

The last bit of the story was referencing the episode, "Naruto Hokage for a day," if you haven't seen it.

How funny. I thought some of you would have guessed Sakura was the thief after "Guilty Pleasures," but I guess the hints about Himawari were obvious for many of you from the onset. Special props to wingedmercury for being the first to guess correctly. Thumbs up to Tuvstarr's lost hearts, and Yengirl for your spectacular deductions as well. I really like that suspicious light you spun on Sakura, Yengirl. Sadly I have to say, from personal experience, I wouldn't rule out parents as suspicious candy bandits this or any Halloween.

This was my first mystery story and I'm so happy you made it to the end. Thank you to: guest, NaruHina, Pixie07, Tuvstarr's Lost Heart, and Yengirl. Your reviews made the best treats, and I can't thank you enough for your support. It's October 31, 2018, and I'm putting this out as my treat to all of you. Here's wishing all of you a Spooktacular Halloween with minimal candy bandits lurking in the shadows! Take care, and if you made it this far, please take the time to review! Your feedback is always appreciated. Enjoy the night and if you have the time, share those candy bandit stories with me too! Thanks!


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